Apparatus for cooling and circulating air by liquid spray



Aug. 3, 1937.

G. M. KLEUCKER APPARATUS FOR COOLING AND CIRCULATING AIR BY LIQUID SPRAY Filed Sept. 11, 1935 INVENTOR Geo/9|: M/f/earhv Patented Aug. 3, 1937 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR COOLING AND CIRCULAT- ING AIR BY LIQUID SPRAY George M. Kleucker, St. Louis, Mo.

Application September 11, 1933, Serial No. 689,011

1 Claim;

This invention relates generally to air cooling and air circulating apparatus, more particularly a tem.

referred to herein as a unit type brine spray sys- Various arrangements have heretofore been. proposed for cooling, washing and circulating air for cold storage or other types of rooms, but the same are relatively expensive in case it is desired to use such apparatus for rooms of large volume.

It is one object of myinvention to provide a relatively simple and compact cooling unit em-' ploying preferably a brine spray so arranged in combination with an improved housing to create an induced flow of air through the unit and into the room. I

In one specific aspect of the invention 1' provide an improved combination of elements whereby a downward spray within a suitable framework having a fabric enclosure will not only induce flow of air downwardly through said enclosure but will cool the air and discharge the same outwardly into the room, preferably in a vertical direction from near the bottom of the unit, the chilled brine or any other desired liquid accumulating in a suitable trough at the bottom of the unit to be recirculated.

A further object is to provide an improved arrangement in a system of the foregoing type whereby the air is washed by the spray simultaneously with the induced circulation thereby allowing the spray to perform the multiple functions of causing the air to be cooled, washed and circulated. In this manner I have provided a relatively simple andhighly effective combination of elements for efficiently tempering and cleaning the air of rooms of large capacity, particularly in .chill rooms of packing houses to readily absorb the vapor from freshly killed animals which is in the nature of dehumidification or in cold storage rooms where dehumidificatlon is not desirable under normal conditions.

others that the invention might tak I v p ovided a suitable open top framework I having a suitable receptacle 2 in the bottom thereof pref-' erably made of wood although sheet metal may be used. The framework may be of any suitable construction having either solid or open sides, but in either case the sides of the framework are provided with fabric 3 or other absorbent material such as burlap or, the like. This fabric is preferably hung from the top of the framework on the insidethereof. A vertical free inlet 4 extends for the full width and length of the unit and the lower end of the fabric terminates adjacent lateral openings 5 and 6 extending longitudinally along each side of the unit. These openings are preferably provided with outwardly extending wooden or sheet metal deflectors I and 8 extending upwardly from the trough or receptacle 2, the upper ends of these deflectors thereby providing air outlets 9 and ill, although it will be understood that only one lateral opening may be used ifdesired.

Disposed between the two fabric sides 3 and extending for substantially the full length of the unit are a series of fabric partitions 24 dependently supported from longitudinal strips 25 which are suitably connected to the main frame i to form vertical passages extending through the unit.

There also provided a spraysystem including a pipe or pipes i2 extending longitudinally near the top inlet opening 4 and having a series of nozzles, openings or other suitable means to provide jets of descending spray I3, preferably brine cooled in any usual and well-known manner such as by a refrigerant evaporator diagrammatically shown at 26 located in the trough or receptacle 2 containing the brine.

As the spray descends over the fabric walls and through the passages formed thereby, air will be induced to flow downwardly as indicated by the arrows i6, thereby to be cooled and washed and finally discharged upwardly through the openings 9 and Ill. The brine spray falls into receptacle 2 and is recirculated, as by a suitable motor-driven pump generally indicated at l I, up-

' wardly through a pipe it connected through branch pipes if desired to pipe l2. It will be course be understoodthat where the term brine has been used, it merely signifies broadly any suitable liquid adapted to act as a cooling and air circulating medium.

It will be noted that the fabric partitions 24 extend preferably below the outlets 9 and II] respectively, thereby insuring that the spray will be carried well down toward the receptacle 2 and not be carried outwardly with the air.

By having the fabrics I constitute the routermost surfaces of the unit there is no possibility that frost will form and accumulate on the outer surfaces thereof as would occur if such surfaces were sheet metal.

From the foregoing disclosure it is seen that I have provided a relatively simple, inexpensive and yet highly effective means for creating an induced circulation of air in a room and at the same time cleaning and cooling the air. Also it is seen that the arrangement is relatively compact considering the comparatively large volume of low pressure air that is circulated through the unit. It will of course be understood that the unit is of sufiicient height that inlet 4 is dis-' posed well into the upper part of the room where- It will of course be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and rearrangements of parts may be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A liquid spray cooling system comprising, in combination, means forming a vertical passage having an open inlet near its top and an outlet near its bottom, the outer walls of said passage being formed of dependently hanging absorbent fabric, the outer surfaces of which form the outermost surfaces of the passages, a vertical dependently hanging fabric partition disposed in said passage, said fabrics forming substantially vertical parallel straight walls, and means for discharging a liquid spray downwardly into said passage from near the top thereof thereby to induce circulation of air through said inlet to said outlet.

GEORGE M. KLEUCKER. 

